The Mountain Hydrangea, or Hydrangea serrata, is a deciduous shrub with a rounded shape that is native to Japan and Korea. It blooms from early to late summer with beautiful lacecap flowers in flattened clusters. Its flowers and leaves are smaller than those of the Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), but it has a more polished habit. The exquisite blossoms of some varieties, which are produced in large quantities, have the remarkable habit of changing color three to four times per season. This captivating process keeps your summer garden from getting stale.
- Mountain hydrangeas typically reach heights and widths of 2-4 feet (60-120 cm).
- Zones 6 through 9 are hardy, Mountain hydrangeas are more susceptible to cold than their mopheaded siblings are, but they are less subject to spring frosts. All year long, a thick covering of mulch is welcome (shredded bark, peat or compost ). This will control weed growth, hold onto moisture, and lessen soil temperature swings.
- Mountain hydrangeas thrive in rich, medium-moisture, well-drained soils and prefer partial shade. They can only grow in full light if the soil is continually moist. Compared to Bigleaf Hydrangeas, they are less resilient and tolerant of windy, hot, and dry conditions.
- According to the pH of the soil, the majority of Mountain Hydrangeas have the additional appeal of changing color. These species can grow blue blooms in highly acidic soils, whereas pink flowers can grow in somewhat acidic soils. If you want your Hydrangea’s blossoms to be a different hue, you can amend the soil with aluminum sulfate to make them bluer or with lime to make them pinker.
- No significant pest or disease problems. Keep an eye out for leaf spots, mildew, bacterial wilt, and bud blight.
- Perfect for container and foundation plantings. grouped in a protected area or used as a decorative plant.
- After flowering, Mountain Hydrangea stems should be pruned by being cut back to a pair of sound buds. In the early spring, remove weak or winter-damaged stems.
The amount of sunlight a mountain hydrangea requires
Each plant requires the following conditions to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), and Full Shade (up to 4 hours).
Does the sun favor mountain hydrangeas?
Care for Mountain Hydrangeas These hydrangeas may thrive in both direct sunlight and light shade. To avoid root rot, the soil must be both moist and nutrient-rich, but it must also be well-drained. Make sure to plant these in an area with protection from wind, which might dry out the soil. Check out our comprehensive hydrangea care guide for additional details.
Can mountain hydrangeas grow on both new and ancient wood?
Hydrangeas come in two varieties: those that bloom on aged wood and those that bloom on young wood. The majority of bigleaf, mountain, oakleaf, and climbing hydrangeas blossom on ancient wood. For the following season, they begin to create buds in the late summer and early fall, and they keep those buds through the winter. Therefore, pruning these plants once the buds form and at any time up to the next summer will result in few, if any, flowers. The same trimming guidance is applicable to hydrangeas that are reblooming because they retain buds from the prior year. I often prune oldwood hydrangeas to manage height at the end of July or the beginning of August. This allows the plant enough time before winter to develop buds, grow, and harden off. I advise letting the plant tell you what is alive or dead if you wish to cut off dead wood in the spring. When the spring leaves appear, cut the stems above the new growth, getting rid of any that have no signs of vitality.
Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood
The most reliable and cold-resistant flower producers in the Hydrangea genus are those hydrangeas that flower on fresh wood, such as panicle and smooth varieties. These hydrangeas bloom and set buds at the same time, protecting their buds from the dangers of winter. Pruning in the late fall or early spring won’t hinder bloom growth. Identifying whether your hydrangea blooms on old wood or fresh wood simply by looking at it can be very challenging. Maintaining plant tags and being aware of the species you’re working with is preferable.
The founding partner and co-owner of West Kingston, Rhode Island-based wholesale nursery Morningstar Nurseries is Bob Aube.
Local garden centers sell many of the kinds mentioned in this article or can special order them for customers. The following mail-order nurseries may have them if you don’t have access to any nearby options:
How can a mountain hydrangea be prepared for winter?
Winter winds and cold temperatures both have the potential to be fatal. This catch-all phrase simply denotes plant dying over the winter. The plant may perish due to the low winter temperatures or from drying out brought on by the winds.
Since hydrangeas become dormant in the winter, winter damage to hydrangeas can not become apparent until spring. If your hydrangea doesn’t produce any green shoots in March or April, it could be your first indication of harm.
Protecting the shrubs from winter’s wrath is necessary to avoid winter kill in hydrangeas, which includes the young buds on the plants. Laying down a heavy layer of mulch over hydrangeas’ root zone is a wonderful place to start with winterizing them. For this, straw works wonderfully.
Use a wire cage to enclose the shrub or construct a cage around it using sturdy posts and chicken wire for even better protection. Wrap the cage in burlap or insulating material. Additionally, you should give the plant a lot of water right before the ground freezes.
When do hydrangeas bloom?
The type, cultivar, planting zone, and hydrangea blooming season all affect when they bloom. The majority of hydrangeas with new growth form buds in the early summer in preparation for blooming the next spring, summer, and early fall. Hydrangeas may stop flowering in the heat of the summer in hot locations, but they will blossom again in the fall.
How do you cut back hydrangeas?
Hydrangea plants don’t require pruning if they are allowed plenty of room to develop in the garden. Only the periodic clearance of dead wood is necessary.
Do you need to deadhead hydrangeas?
Your hydrangeas will continue to bloom into the fall if you deadhead them. Hydrangeas make wonderful cut flowers, so there’s no need to wait until the flower wilts. Leave the early fall blossoms alone so they can fade naturally. In the days leading up to your freeze date, you don’t want to promote new growth.
How do you control hydrangea color?
The distinction of hydrangeas is that you can modify their color. But keep in mind that not all hydrangea varieties can change their color. H. macrophylla, a species of bigleaf hydrangea, responds to changes in soil pH. Hydrangeas can absorb aluminum thanks to a low soil pH, which gives the blossoms a lovely blue hue. Reduce the pH of your soil by mixing in sulfur or peat moss to enhance the number of blue hydrangea flowers. Throughout the growth season, you can keep amending your soil with extra aluminum sulfate. When you add ground limestone to boost the pH, pink and red blooms shine.
You may precisely modify your hydrangea color using a soil pH test. To avoid the plant from being harmed, keep the pH level below 7.5. In the fall, all hydrangeas will naturally fade regardless of the modifications you’ve made. Don’t worry, the plant will display vibrant, new blossoms once more in the spring.
Can hydrangeas grow in shade?
Although they won’t blossom in complete shade, hydrangeas prefer dappled or infrequent shade. How much sun do hydrangeas need is more important to consider than whether they love the sun or the shade. Your hydrangeas require more sunlight the further north in your garden you are. A general guideline is six hours of sunlight each day. However, southern hydrangeas can thrive with just three hours of sunlight per day.
Can hydrangeas grow in full sun?
While hydrangeas prefer morning sun, they struggle in the hot, afternoon sun. For these gorgeous creatures, partial shade in the later hours of the day is optimal.
Can you grow hydrangeas in pots?
Even if you don’t have enough room in your garden to cultivate hydrangeas, you can still enjoy these lovely blossoms by learning how to grow hydrangea in a pot. As long as you follow the fundamentals of caring for hydrangeas, the procedure is rather straightforward. Select a pot with at least an 18-inch diameter to accommodate the mature size of the particular hydrangea you are growing. In order to maintain the constant moisture level that hydrangeas demand, look for non-porous containers. Excess water will be able to adequately drain thanks to drainage holes. Consider growing dwarf hydrangeas like Buttons ‘n Bows, Mini Penny, and Little Lime.
How do you keep hydrangeas from wilting?
Morning irrigation on a regular basis can assist stop withering. Some hydrangea cultivars simply can’t stand the heat. No matter how much water you give them, they will begin to wilt in the afternoon heat. Mulch applied in layers can help soil retain moisture and stay cool. You shouldn’t be concerned if your hydrangeas bloom again once the day cools. A little midday wilting is preferable to overwatering and drowning your hydrangeas.
How much sun should hydrangeas get each day?
A lot of hydrangea species thrive in part shade, which is less than four hours of direct sunlight each day, and even full shade. These species include the blue, pink, or white bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla, zones 5–11). The pH of the soil affects the color of the blooms. Pink flowers grow on alkaline soils, while blue flowers are produced by acidic soils. Depending on the exact type, bigleaf hydrangeas may bear lacecap or mophead flowers, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden.
The smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens, zones 3-9) enjoys part shade and is another hydrangea that thrives in shade. It expands to a height and width of 5 feet. Between 2 and 6 inch wide corymbs of hairy white flowers are produced by this plant from June to September. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, both the bigleaf and smooth hydrangea can occasionally grow in full sun if there is regular rain.
Which hydrangea grows best in shade?
Shade-Friendliest Hydrangeas
- Big leaf mophead hydrangeas are Hydrangea macrophylla.
- Hydrangea macrophylla normalis, also called lacecap hydrangeas.
- Hydrangea macrophylla ssp. Serrata, sometimes known as mountain hydrangeas.
- Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris, a climbing shrub.
Tiny Tuff Stuff is a hydrangea, but what kind is it?
Mountain hydrangea known as Tiny Tuff StuffTM (Hydrangea serrata). The ideal amount of sunlight or shade for each plant to thrive is: Part sun (four to six hours), full shade, and full sun (up to 4 hours).
Do I need to take any extra steps to protect a hydrangea if I’m growing it outside of its proper growing zone? Should I cover them in burlap or another kind of covering like I might with other shrubs?
Giving it an additional blanket for the winter is a good idea if you’re trying to grow something in a somewhat hardy environment. You’ll likely need one or two more layers than someone who usually experiences the cold when you get off the plane from Hawaii to Minnesota in January. Burlap does offer some nice protection for the shrub, but you might also want to consider enclosing the shrub in a metal cage and stuffing the cage with pine straw or leaves before wrapping it in burlap.
How often should hydrangeas be watered over winter?
You shouldn’t have to water plants all winter long if you live somewhere that gets snow. You might need to apply once per month or so if you live in a warmer area without snow and little winter rain. You can leave it unless it’s completely dry because the plants’ water requirements are small because they aren’t growing and have no leaves. The same is true of container-grown hydrangeas. Easy as pie.
First Editions ‘Vanilla Strawberry’ Hydrangea
A panicle hydrangea called “Vanilla Strawberry” blooms from midsummer until the end of the season with sweet-colored blossoms. Cut down or shape plants in the late winter or early spring before blooms appear. Vanilla Strawberry is a standard that can grow to a height of 6 feet.
Don’t give up on it in the winter and fall. This time of year, they are intended to shed their leaves. If there isn’t snow cover, make sure it keeps hydrated all winter. The plants still need some hydration at their roots even though they are dormant. Snow cover serves as a water source as well as insulation. Make sure you have enough rain or water to get them through if you live somewhere where it doesn’t snow or doesn’t receive snow. Additionally, make sure mulch, such as wood chips, oak leaves, pine straw, or another type, is placed over the hydrangea’s base. Snow or no snow, it provides the necessary insulation as well as some extra defense against hungry rats and rabbits in the winter.
When trimming other plants in the late winter, you might be tempted to prune hydrangeas as well, but McEnaney advises that you should first identify the type of hydrangea you have before using pruning shears.
Remember, he says, to offer a minor clip in the spring if you have a reblooming or mophead hydrangea.
Late winter is the time to prune down cone-shaped hydrangeas by a third to a half. Prune a cylindrical oakleaf variety after midsummer flowering if you have one.
When in doubt, McEnaney advises against pruning in the fall.
You run the risk of jeopardizing your flowers for the following year by cutting off blooms that grow in the fall. Simply be patient and wait until spring to prune after this season’s blooms have provided you with some winter appeal.
Ask for assistance from a nearby nursery, garden center, county extension office, or even another gardener to identify it if you are unsure of the variety.
According to him, too much fertilizer can be detrimental.
The element that promotes bloom production and gives you the most value for your money is phosphorus, so seek for a fertilizer with a high concentration of it when you’re at your neighborhood garden center. Follow the instructions on the fertilizer package and avoid overfertilizing to avoid burning the root system and preventing the development of flowers. If anything, one more application of fertilizer in the middle of the summer is beneficial, but make sure to cease fertilizing by early fall.